Left overs can be a wonderful thing. Years ago my new husband...my only husband, had the grand idea that I cook fresh each day. After he saw the time in the kitchen it took me and the grocery bill, he quickly agreed with me that left overs can be a wonderful, if not a fantastic thing. Since that first week or marriage I have 'repurposed' many nightly meals with the leftovers from the evening before.
Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers is one such meal. Simple, delicious, and a little time consuming, these appetizers were a great way to use up the multitude of peppers from our garden. The hubby loved them as did the youngest daughter who both have iron stomachs and love anything spicy.
I made these poppers two ways. One traditional and one is what call the lazy girls way due to being industrious and cleaning far too many jalapenos! Both turned out great!
Make sure that if you don't want a burning sensation in your eyes that you either wash your hands well after cleaning your jalapeno peppers or wear gloves. The fumes can also be intense and hard on you as well from washing the jalapenos in the colander. If you like your poppers hot, do not clean out the insides.
Stuffed Jalapeno and Chicken Popppers
20 - 30 jalapenos, cut in half and membranes
1 block cream cheese, cut in strips
1 chicken breaks cut in strips of 1/2 inch wide
1 package of bacon, sliced in thirds
Black pepper to taste
Prepare jalapeno peppers to be stuffed by slicing in half and cutting away membrane with seeds. Wash in a colander and drain well. Add to this 1/3 cream cheese slice to poppers, then chicken, wrapped by 1/3 a slice of bacon. If you wrap the bacon tightly and lay open edges down you do not have to toothpick the poppers. Place in a greased 9 x 13 inch Pyrex dish. Sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper.
Cook on 350 in your oven until bacon is crispy. Serve immediately.
Lazy Girls Stuffed Jalapeno and Chicken Popppers
10 - 15 jalapenos, cut in half, membranes removed and cut in small pieces
1/3 block of cream cheese
1/2 chicken breast cut in cubes, (you can use dark chicken meat as well)
1/3 package of bacon, cut in small cubes and separated
Black pepper to taste
Lightly grease a small rectangular dish. Prepare jalapenos by slicing in half, removing membranes and seeds and chopping in to small bits. Layer jalapenos first in a small dish. Top with cubed chicken breast. Next add cream cheese, then bacon sprinkled on top. Add two to three chopped jalapeno peppers as a finisher or garnish on top. Cook on 350 degrees until bacon is crisp. Serve hot.
Cooks Note: Use gloves to handle these peppers and wash hands thoroughly afterwards...don't touch your eyes...ouch!
Alise - The Ranch Kitchen
